Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletic Communications


CALGARY – Former North Carolina Central defensive back and return specialist Mike Jones, who was a part of three MEAC championships (2014-16) as an Eagle, just added another championship to his record.
 
On Sunday, Jones and his Winnipeg Blue Bombers teammates defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 in the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship game to win the 107th Grey Cup. The CFL title is the first for Winnipeg in 28 years.
 
In the championship contest, Jones registered five tackles and intercepted a pass late in the game to seal the victory.
 
A week earlier, during a 20-13 triumph over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the western division final, Jones amassed six tackles. In the western division semifinal, a 35-14 win over the Calgary Stampeders (Nov. 10), Jones contributed a takedown and an interception.
 
Jones is the third NCCU Eagle to celebrate a CFL Grey Cup championship, according to the NCCU football records book. Jerome Gantt, who was an All-MEAC and Pittsburgh Courier All-America defensive tackle during his NCCU career (1966-69), played on two Grey Cup championship teams – Hamilton (1972) and Montreal (1974); and Jovan Olafioye, who competed at NCCU from 2006-08 and became a six-time CFL All-Star, was a member of the 2011 Grey Cup championship team with the B.C. Lions.
 
During his distinguished NCCU gridiron career from 2013-16, Jones broke the school record for career punt return average with 21.0 yards per punt return (31 punt returns, 651 yards, 2 touchdowns), and ended his Eagle tenure ranked ninth on NCCU's career passes defended list with 36 (25 pass break-ups, 11 interceptions) and tied for 13th with 11 career interceptions. He earned multiple All-MEAC citations, along with FCS and HBCU All-America honors.
 
When reached via text message on Tuesday, Jones wrote, "NCCU will forever be a part of my success."